Process and device for assembly of van der waals heterostructures

Abstract

Provided herein is a method for transferring a material from a first substrate to a second substrate via a flexible intermediate substrate comprising a support layer and a metallic adhesion layer. The method comprises lifting the material from the first substrate with the intermediate substrate, the lifting comprising adhering the material to the metallic adhesion layer by Van der Waals adhesion between the material and the metallic adhesion layer. The method comprises depositing the material from the intermediate substrate on to the second substrate, the depositing comprising adhering the material to the second substrate by Van der Waals adhesion between the material and the second substrate. Also provided herein is a method of forming a heterostructure by removing material from one or more substrates via a flexible intermediate substrate comprising a support layer and metallic adhesion layer. A flexible substrate for performing the same is also provided.

1 . A method for transferring a material from a flexible intermediate substrate to a second substrate, the flexible intermediate substrate comprising a support layer and a metallic adhesion layer, the method comprising:
 depositing the material from the intermediate substrate on to the second substrate, the depositing comprising adhering the material to the second substrate by Van der Waals adhesion between the material and the second substrate and delaminating the material from the metallic adhesion layer of the intermediate substrate.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the depositing is a dry process. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the support layer of the intermediate substrate is formed of an inorganic material. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the support layer of the intermediate substrate comprises an oxide or a nitride. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the support layer of the intermediate substrate comprises silicon nitride or silicon dioxide. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the metallic adhesion layer comprises at least one of: gold, copper, platinum, chromium, or palladium. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising an interfacial layer between the support layer and the metallic adhesion layer, the interfacial layer comprising at least one of: tantalum, chromium, titanium, tungsten, niobium, aluminium, or nickel. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising controlling the Van der Waals adhesion at least in part by controlling a thickness and/or composition of the metallic adhesion layer. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising controlling the Van der Waals adhesion at least in part by controlling a temperature of one or more of the substrates. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising controlling the Van der Waals adhesion at least in part by controlling a speed of movement of the intermediate substrate. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising lifting the material from a first substrate with the intermediate substrate, the lifting comprising adhering the material to the metallic adhesion layer by Van der Waals adhesion between the material and the metallic adhesion layer. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein:
 lifting the material comprises bringing the metallic adhesion layer of the intermediate substrate proximate to the first substrate; and   depositing the material comprising bringing the metallic adhesion layer of the intermediate substrate proximate to the second substrate.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the Van der Waals adhesion between the material and the metallic adhesion layer is greater than Van der Waals adhesion between the material and the first substrate. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein lifting the material comprises lifting a portion of the first substrate which is bonded to the material, the method further comprising:
 removing the portion of the first substrate from the intermediate substrate before depositing the material on to the second substrate.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein removing the portion of the first substrate is a wet process. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11   11 , further comprising:
 patterning the support layer in accordance with a predetermined pattern and depositing the metallic adhesion layer on the patterned support layer; or   depositing the metallic adhesion layer on the support layer in accordance with a predetermined pattern;   wherein lifting the material comprising lifting the material in accordance with the predetermined pattern.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second substrate comprises an outer layer of a heterostructure having one or more layers, and wherein depositing the material on to the second substrate comprises depositing the material on the outer layer to form another layer of the heterostructure. 
     
     
         18 . A method of forming a heterostructure by removing material from one or more substrates via a flexible intermediate substrate comprising a support layer and metallic adhesion layer, the method comprising:
 lifting a first material from a first area of the one or more substrates with the intermediate substrate, the lifting comprising adhering the first material to the metallic adhesion layer by Van der Waals adhesion between the first material and the metallic adhesion layer; and   lifting a second material from a second area of the one or more substrates with the intermediate substrate, the lifting comprising adhering the second material to the first material by Van der Waals adhesion between the first material and the second material.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the first area and the second area correspond to areas of a single substrate. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the first area and the second area correspond to areas of two different substrates. 
     
     
         21 . A flexible substrate for depositing material onto a bulk substrate, the flexible substrate comprising:
 a support layer, wherein the support layer is formed of an inorganic material; and   a metallic adhesion layer.   
     
     
         22 . The flexible substrate of  claim 21 , wherein the metallic adhesion layer comprises at least one of: gold, copper, platinum, chromium, or palladium. 
     
     
         23 . The flexible substrate of  claim 21 , wherein:
 wherein the support layer comprises a silicon nitride membrane, and wherein the silicon nitride membrane has a thickness of 200 nm to 1000 nm, optionally 500 nm; and/or   wherein the metallic adhesion layer comprises gold or palladium, and wherein the gold or palladium has a thickness between 0.01 nm and 10 nm, optionally between 0.05 nm and 5 nm, optionally between 0.1 nm and 1 nm.   
     
     
         24 . The flexible substrate of  claim 21 , further comprising an interfacial layer between the support layer and the metallic adhesion layer, the interfacial layer comprising at least one of: tantalum, chromium, titanium, tungsten, niobium, aluminium, or nickel. 
     
     
         25 . The flexible substrate of  claim 21 , further comprising a polymer layer, wherein the support layer is between the polymer layer and the metallic adhesion layer.